Protector for boxed footwear



1957 B. KARR 2,782,978

' PROTECTOR FOR BOXED FOOTWEAR Filed Nov. 10, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VEN TOR. BENN K Ann.

Feb. 26, 1957 B. KARR PROTECTOR FOR BOXED FOOTWEAR 2 Sheets-Sheet 2' Filed Nov. 10, 1955 INVENTOR. Benn Knnza.

A RNEYS ilited States Patent '0 PROTECTOR FOR BOXED FOOTWEAR Benn Karr, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application November 10, 1955, Serial No. 546,040

8 Claims. (Cl. 229-14) This invention relates to a protective covering, probably most readily formed as an insert to be engaged in a shoe box, but also adapted for integral connection to the box, for a pair of shoes confined within the box.

When shoes are awaiting sale, they are kept in boxes, and initially are wrapped in tissue with the tissue arranged to prevent contact of either shoe with the other, or with the box walls, thus to prevent scufling or other damage to the shoes.

When sales personnel remove the shoes to display the same to a customer, they tend to crumple or discard the tissue before returning the shoes to the box. The shoes are thus left unprotected and may and often do become shopworn.

The main object of the present invention is to provide a protective covering, either as an insert or as an integral attachment to the box, so designed that the salesman will be unable to return the shoes to the box without properly protecting the same.

To this end, the invention, summarized briefly, comprises side wings connected to opposite sides of the box in position to be folded inwardly in protective relation to the shoes, and stiffened in such a manner as to necessarily require that they be so folded before the cover of the box can be replaced.

Other objects will appear from the following description, the claims appended thereto, and from the annexed drawing in which like reference characters designate like parts throughout the several views and wherein:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the box with the cover removed and the shoes protectively covered;

Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of the shoe box with the Wings or flaps extended;

Figure 3 is a transverse section on line 3--3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of the protective insert per se, partially assembled;

Figure 5 is a fragmentaryperspective view of a modification; and

Figure 6 is an enlarged, detail section on the line 6-6 of Figure 5.

An important characteristic of the invention, when made in the form of a box-connected insert as shown, is its adaptability for association with a conventional shoe box generally designated 10, without any modification or redesign of the box. The box illustrated, thus includes a rectangular container having a bottom 12, side walls 14, end walls 16, and a cover 18. i

The invention, generallydesignated 19, includes a first insert sheet having a bottom portion 29 lying upon the bottom 12, and a top portion or flap 22 projecting beyond the side of the box and connected to portion 20 by an intermediate portion 24. The sheet is of transparent plastic such as cellophane or polyethylene, but could be paper of tissue thickness, and extends the full length of the box, with portion 24 covering the entire area of the associated side wall 14, and portion 20 covering substantially the full area of the box bottom 12.

Interposed between portion 24 and the adjacent side wall 14, at one end of the box, is a stiffener support element 25 of die-cut cardboard or the like, extending the full depth of and cemented to the side wall 14. At the upper edge of wall 14 element 25 includes an outwardly extending flap-receiving part composed of portions 26, 28 folded over the adjacent end of flap 22 and receiving the flap 22 between them. These are cemented to the opposite faces of the flap and interposed between portion 26 and the flap is'an elongated stiffener 30 of wood or heavy cardboard cemented between the portion 26 and flap 22, and extending transversely of the flap for substantially the full width of the flap, said stiffener being extended diagonally of the folded part.

An identically but oppositely formed second insert sheet is provided along the opposite side of the box and includes a bottom portion 32, a fiap 34, and a connecting intermediate porti-on 36 connected to the other side Wall 34 by a spot of adhesive or cement 37. A stiffener support element includes a folded part comprising fold portions 38, 40 receiving flap 34 at the end of the box opposite that at which folded parts 26, 28 are located. Portions 38, 40 (see Figure 4) are cemented to opposite faces of flap 34 and between the flap and the portion 40 is a stiffener 42. Depending from portion 45 is a support element 44 adhesivcly secured to the side wall 14.

With bottom portions 20, 32 overlapped and the intermediate portions 24, 36 adhesively secured to the sides of the box, a pair of shoes S is deposited in the box. The flaps are stiffened each at one end with the stiffened ends being at opposite ends of the box. The flaps are folded inwardly to overlie the shoes. As usual, the shoes extend in opposite directions, with the stiffened areas of the flaps overlying the heel ends of the shoes. The freely flexible parts of the flaps are extended over the shoes and may be extended there'between, thus fully protecting the shoes.

The protector is so designed, it will be noted, as to insure positively that the shoes will be protectively covered before the box cover is replaced, and since the protector is permanently connected to the box, there is no possibility of sales personnel discarding the same.

In Figures 5 and 6, there is shown a removable insert which can be applied to the box Without the use of cement. In this form, the insert sheet has a flap comprising fold portions 46, 48 continuing into side-wall-contacting portions 59, 52 respectively.

interposed between portions 46, 4-3, is a folded stiffener 54 having a depending extension 56. Interposed between side wall 14 and the sheet portion 5'2 is a stiifener support element 58 of cardboard or the like. Staples 60 are extended through the element 58, extension 56, and portions 54 52 and connected to and projecting. outwardly from the element 58 is a hook 62 adapted to hook over the top edge of the adjacent side wall 14 of the box.

This form of the invention in structureand function closely approximates that of the first form, having the flexible flap and each connected to the box and stitfened at one end to insure proper replacement of the shoes.

It may be desired, in some instances, to form the protector integrally with the box, with the flaps being integral with the side walls and being provided with stiffened ends as shown. Within the scope of the appended claims, such a variation is intended to be embraced in the invention.

It is believed apparent. that the invention is not necessarily confined to the specific use or uses thereof described above since it may be utilized for any purpose to which it may be suited. Nor is the invention to be necessarily limited to the specific construction illustrated and described, since such construction is only intended to be illustrative of the principles, it being considered that the invention comprehends any minor change in construction that may be permitted within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is: v v p l. A shoe-protecting attachment for a shoe box having opposed side walls and a cover, comprising: a pair of transparent sheets overlying and connected to the respective side walls and formed with flaps projecting above the side walls, said flaps being foldable inwardly to cover a pair of shoes housed in the box; and means stiffening the flaps in a transverse direction to require inward folding of the flaps before application of the cover, said means extending the full width of the respective sheets, and being spaced apart longitudinally of the flaps and unstiffened, transparent portions of the sheets being overlapped in the space between said means to protectively overlie, and permit visual inspection of the contents of the box.

2. A shoe-protecting attachment for a shoe box having opposed side walls and a cover, comprising: a pair of transparent sheets overlying and connected to the respective side walls and formed with flaps projecting above the side walls, said flaps being foldable inwardly to cover a pair of shoes housed in the box; and means stiffening the fiaps'in a transverse direction to require inward folding of the flaps before application of the cover, said flaps each being stiffened only at one end thereof, said means extending the full width of the respective sheets, and being spaced apart longitudinally of the flaps and unstitfened, transparent portions of the sheets being overlapped in the space between said means to protectively overlie, and permit visual inspection of the contents of the box.

3. A shoe-protecting attachment for a shoe box having opposed side walls and a cover, comprising: a pair of transparent sheets overlying and connected to the respective side walls and formed with flaps projecting above the side walls, said flaps being foldable inwardly to cover a pair of shoes housed in the box; and means stiffening the flaps in a transverse direction to require inward folding of the flaps before application of the cover, said flaps each being stif ened only at one end thereof, and each flap being stiffened at the end thereof opposite that at which the other flap is stiffened, said means extending the full width of the respective sheets, and being spaced apart longitudinally of the flaps and unstiffened, transparent portions of the sheets being overlapped in the space between said I means to protectively overlie, and permit visual inspection of the contents of the box.

4. A shoe-protecting attachment for a shoe box having opposed side Walls and a cover, comprising: a pair of transparent sheets overlying and connected to the respecclosed between the folds of said element, said means extending the full width of the respective sheets, and being spaced apart longitudinally of the flaps and unstitfened, transparent portions of the sheets being overlapped in the space between said means to protectively overlie, and permit visual inspection of the contents of the box.

5. A shoe-protecting attachment for a shoe box having opposed side walls and a cover, comprising: a pair of transparent sheets overlying and connected to the respective side walls and formed with flaps projecting above the side walls, said flaps being foldable inwardly to cover a pair of shoes housed in the box; and means stiffening the flaps in a transverse direction to require inward folding of the flaps before application of the cover, each flap being formed of a readily flexible material, said means comprising a stiffener support element formed of a material substantially stiffer than that of the associated flap and folded about an end of the flap, and a stifiener enclosed between the folds of said element, said stiffener being formed as an elongated member extending across substantially the full width of the flap, said means extending the full width of the respective sheets, and being spaced apart longitudinally of the flaps and unstiffened, transparent portions of the sheets being overlapped in the space between said means to protectively overlie, and permit visual inspection of the contents of the box.

6. A shoe-protecting attachment for a shoe box having opposed side walls and a cover, comprising: a pair of transparent sheets overlying and connected to the respective side walls and formed with flaps projecting above the side walls, said flaps being foldable inwardly to cover a pair of shoes housed in the box; and means stiffening the flaps in a transverse direction to require inward folding of the flaps before application of the cover, the connection between the sheets and their associated side walls comprising an adhesive bond therebetween, said means extending the full width of the respective sheets, and being spaced apart longitudinally of the flaps and unstiffened, transparent portions of the sheets being overlapped in the space between said means to protectively overlie, and permit visual inspection of the contents of the box.

7. A shoe-protecting attachment for a shoe box having opposed side walls and a cover, comprising: a pair of transparent sheets overlying and connected to the respective side walls and formed with flaps projecting above the side Walls, said flaps being foldable inwardly to cover a pair of shoes housed in the box; and means stiffening the flaps in a transverse direction to require inward folding of the flaps before application of the cover, the connection between each sheet and its associated side wall comprising a hook extending outwardly from the sheet and engageable over the side wall, said means extending the full width of the respective sheets, and being spaced apart longitudinally of the flaps and unstitfened, transparent portions of the sheets being overlapped in the space between said means to protectively overlie, and permit visual inspection of the contents of the box.

8. A shoe-protecting attachment for a shoe box having opposed side walls and a cover, comprising: a pair of transparent sheets overlying the respective side walls and cemented thereto at least at the ends of the side walls, said sheets being formed with flaps projecting above the side walls, said flaps being foldable inwardly to cover a pair of shoes housed in the box; and means stiffening the flaps in a transverse direction to require inward folding of the flaps before application of the cover, said means extending the full width of the respective sheets, and being spaced apart longitudinally of the flaps and unstitfened, transparent portions of the sheets being overlapped in the space between said means to protectively overlie, and permit visual inspection of the contents of the box.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,101,522 White Dec. 7, 1937 am o 

